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2010-11 Season - Road win lifts 12th ranked Vikings to 4-0

Junior Bryant Voiles scored 12 points and hauled in a team high seven rebounds as the Vikings defeated Monmouth 66-59 on Wednesday, December 1 in Monmouth, Illinois. Augustana, currently ranked 12th in NCAA Division III, moved to 4-0 with the victory.

MONMOUTH, Ill. - Utilizing a balanced scoring attack with three starters in double figures, Augustana moved its record to 4-0 on the young season with a 66-59 non-conference victory at Monmouth on Wednesday, December 1. The Vikings, ranked 12th in the latest NCAA Division III poll, never trailed in the game.

Senior Kyle Nelson (Deerfield HS, Deerfield, Ill.), the “Player of the Week” in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin this past week, led the visitors in scoring with 15 points. He was joined in the double figure column by junior guard Chris Anderson (West Carroll HS, Mount Carroll, Ill.) with 13 and junior forward Bryant Voiles (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) with 12.

After the contest was tied 2-2 in the early going, Augustana went on a 16-4 run to take an 18-4 lead with 11:04 remaining in the first half. Nelson’s basket ended the spurt, which began at 16:29 with a steal and subsequent layup from junior point guard Brian DeSimone (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.). Six different Vikings scored en route to building the early lead.

The lead remained in double digits for most of the half but a basket by Monmouth’s David Altman with just five seconds remaining sliced the advantage to just eight points (32-24) at halftime.

Augustana extended the lead to 12 (40-28) three minutes into the second period but the Scots scored the game’s next nine points to cut the margin to three (40-37) with 13:48 left. Voiles quieted the run with a three point basket at 13:36 and junior Troy Rorer (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) added a two pointer at 13:14 to make it 45-37. Eventually a three point field goal from Anderson would push the lead to 53-41 at 9:23.

The margin hovered between seven and nine points from 8:43 (53-44) until Anderson’s basket at 3:37 made it an 11 point bulge (61-50). With 1:16 left Monmouth cut it to seven points (63-56) on a basket by Kyle Mengarelli. Voiles upped the Viking lead to nine (65-56) with a basket at :51 and Nelson’s single free throw with :29 remaining made it a 10 point cushion (66-56). The Scots got a conventional three point play by Corey Gruber with :14 left to account for the final score (66-59).

After shooting just .400 (12-30) from the field in the first half, Augustana shot .565 (13-23) in the second 20 minute session. The Vikings forged a decisive 35-25 advantage in the rebounding department with Voiles leading the way with seven and Nelson adding six. Sophomore George Dexter (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) had five. Rorer had three assists to lead the team and DeSimone picked up three steals.

Monmouth, which falls to 1-2 on the year, was led in scoring by Gruber with 13 points. Only 30 of the Scots 59 points in the game came from their starters.

Augustana will now be idle until hosting Quad City neighbor St. Ambrose on Wednesday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Carver Center.